In June, 2005, Barney Horne and Greg Horne traveled to Tanzania from their homes in England and California to trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro.  "Barney was over from the UK last year and announced that he wanted to do the Kili climb to celebrate his 50th Birthday.  I'm not sure how firm the plan was at that point, but Kathy immediately said 'Greg will be up for that!' - so she really gets the credit!"

We ascended via the Shira Plateau - Western Breach route, a longer, quieter, and more scenic alternative to the usual trekking paths.  This route included a little non-technical climbing, which was fun, but the great advantage was in spending more time on the mountain for altitude acclimatization, greatly increasing the chance of reaching the 19,340 ft summit.  Our 9-day itinerary included an extra day for acclimatization at Lava Tower Camp, and we camped in the Crater before summit day to avoid the necessity of a final ascent in darkness.

We added a couple of days at each end of the trek, giving us a chance to see a little more of the country and enjoy some safari.  The first two days were spent at Sinya, a private concession bordering Kenya at Amboseli National Park where we saw abundant game, and had the privilege of visiting the Maasai and witnessing their traditional culture in its real setting.  After the trek, we spent time in Arusha, Lake Manyara and the spectacular game park at Ngorongoro.

The whole trip exceeded our highest expectations - thanks to all who made it possible for us.